MTA Pulls A Fast One By Trying To Raise Fares

A coalition of environmental and civil rights activists is fighting the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) effort to raise fares during the summer lull.

MTA has planned an August 26 vote on a proposal to increase its cash fare from $1.35 to $1.45, the price of the token from 90 cents to 95 cents, and the price of the monthly bus pass from $42 to $45. MTA has scheduled the August vote even though its own fare policy study is not due for another six months. The costly, taxpayer-funded study is designed to establish long-term transportation goals and examine alternative fare strategies for the MTA.

“Lower Fares For The Los Angeles County MTA,” a report by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Natural Resources Defense Council, Coalition for Clean Air, Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California, and Communities for a Better Environment demonstrated that lowering fares would greatly increase ridership and mobility in Los Angeles. The report found that a fare increase, on the other hand, could send transit in LA’s transportation system into a “death spiral” with reduced ridership and service.

“The MTA’s failure to provide affordable transit service not only harms communities of color and low-income communities for whom transit service is a life-link, it harms the entire Los Angeles community by promoting congestion, polluted air and obstacles to reaching jobs and other necessities,” said EDF senior attorney Robert Garcia.

The “Lower Fares For The Los Angeles County MTA” report indicated that a fare increase would hurt the people who can least afford it. Seven in ten MTA bus riders have household incomes under $15,000. An astounding four in ten have household incomes under $7,500.

“MTA Bus riders cannot be denied transit access to jobs, loved ones, doctors, shopping, churches, parks and other basic needs,” said former MTA chief financial officer Thomas Rubin. “Before initiating a fare increase for those who can least afford it, the MTA must consider all other options.”

“MTA’s cash fare is already the highest in the area. The MTA should defer any action on a fare increase until the agency adequately examines equitable and efficient alternatives to raising prices,” said Todd Campbell of the Coalition for Clean Air.